Community Power Hour June 21

Local businesses are the bane to our existence in small town America. When you shop small at independent, locally owned businesses, 52% of what you spend stays right in your community, supporting other local organizations and services (Civic Economics). Yet despite all the cliché quotes encouraging local shopping and business connectivity, small businesses are struggling. The Sidney Area Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture recently initiated a project called Community Power Hour to bridge the gap between businesses and one another and the public. The goal of this project is to provide a support to our local businesses.

Community Power Hour is inspired by a national movement, Caffeinate Your Community, which has had a lot of positive impact in surrounding communities. The Community Power Hour is held on the third Tuesday of each month at 8:15 a.m. at various locations. Each Community Power Hour will feature two local businesses. The presenters will give the audience a background on the history of their businesses, their trials and successes, strategies used to strengthen everything from employee retention to sales and other guidance as it applies to the theme of the month. Each presentation is followed by a question-and-answer session. The atmosphere of each Community Power Hour is always casual and comfortable.

The Community Power Hour gatherings are open to the public. Other local businesses are also highly encouraged to attend.

Outside the object of business support, this multifaceted approach provides opportunities for professional networking, education from experienced businessmen/women, a ground for new ideas and calls for action and a celebration of the successes and milestones of local businesses.

The first Community Power Hour will be held on June 21 at Mimi's Kitchen Co. The Community Power Hour starts at 8:15 a.m. and will last no longer than one hour. The first Community Power Hour pays homage to Tanya Asbeck and Phil Johnson, veteran business professionals that are just entering their retirement chapter. Asbeck is Eastmont Enterprises manager and Johnson is the former co-owner of Johnson Hardware and Furniture. Both businesses continue to thrive and we're looking forward to the stories and advise of Asbeck and Johnson.

The second Community Power Hour will be held at Bittersweet Hide Out & Coffee Shack on July 19 with a focus on "Business Take-over." Please refer to the Sidney Chamber Facebook page for further locations or give The Chamber a call at 406-433-1916.